Home Meat and Poultry
3.32
/5
30 minutes mins
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By: Lalaine ManaloPosted: 09/04/2018Updated: 03/12/2023
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One-Pot American Chop Suey with hearty macaroni and beefy tomato sauce is the ultimate comfort food! It's easy to make with pantry ingredients, ready in 30 minutes, and cooks in one pan!
Table Of Contents
- 1 Difference between American and Chinese Chop Suey
- 2 Cooking steps
- 3 Serving suggestions
- 4 Storing leftovers
- 5 More ground beef recipes
- 6 American Chop Suey
I was going to post this American Chop Suey on my other blog, but I realized this dish's meaty, saucy flavors fit our Filipino tastes perfectly. In fact, one of my most popular recipes on the blog is a cheesy baked macaroni.
While the baked mac is absolutely scrumptious, it's not something you'd gladly whip up on a busy weeknight as it requires a few steps, such as making the bechamel sauce and the meat sauce, cooking the noodles, and baking it all together.
This American chop suey, however, takes the cake on easy. Too easy that you can have it ready in 30 minutes and one pot!
Difference between American and Chinese Chop Suey
American chop suey is a regional pasta dish popular in New England. Unlike its Asian namesake, which is a hodgepodge of tender-crisp vegetables and bite-sized meat cooked in a savory stir-fry sauce, it's made of cooked ground beef, sauteed onions, and a rich tomato sauce similar to beef or chili mac.
The cooked pasta is traditionally served on a plate or in a bowl with Worcestershire sauce and grated Parmesan for additional seasoning and flavor.
Cooking steps
- Ground beef is cooked with garlic, onions, and bell peppers until lightly browned.
- Crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato sauce are added to complete the meat sauce. Tomato juice is traditionally used as an additional liquid.
- The dish is seasoned with dried Italian herbs such as basil and oregano help season the dish along with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
- As sugar is a key ingredient here, the dish does have the hint of sweetness we love in our Filipino-style spaghetti. 🙂
This macaroni and beef is not only simple to make, but it's also budget-friendly and a great make-ahead meal. The recipe yields a generous 6 servings, but you can easily double or triple to feed a large crowd.
Serving suggestions
Serve this one-pot American chop suey as a main dish for lunch or dinner. Enjoy with a tossed salad and garlic bread for a hearty and tasty meal!
Storing leftovers
- I always cook a big batch, and we eat the leftovers for days. To store for future meals, allow the pasta to cool completely, transfer to airtight containers, and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, warm up in the microwave for about 3 to 5 minutes or until completely heated. If frozen, thaw out overnight and reheat. You can also reheat leftovers on the stovetop. Add a broth or tomato juice splash to compensate for the lost moisture.
- I suggest dividing the pasta into portions when storing it in containers for food safety. This way, you can thaw and warm up what you need and don't have to throw out food that has been reheated.
More ground beef recipes
Bagis is a popular dish from Tarlac made of ground beef cooked in calamansi juice, onions, and chili peppers. It's tasty, easy to make, and budget-friendly, too!
Get Recipe
American Chop Suey
Meaty, saucy Beef Macaroni is sure to be a dinner favorite! Easy to make in 30 minutes and in one pot, this American chop suey recipe is perfect for busy weeknights.
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
Author: Lalaine Manalo
Course: Main Entree, Pasta
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6 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- ½ green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 2 cups tomato juice ( or beef broth)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
US CustomaryMetric
Instructions
In a wide pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and bell peppers and cook until softened.
Add ground beef and cook, breaking the meat with the back of a spoon, until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain excess oil, if any,
Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato juice (OR broth), tomato paste, Worcestershiresauce, dried oregano, dried basil, and sugar. Stir until combined and bring to a simmer.
Add uncooked macaroni and stir to distribute. Lower heat, cover, and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Spoon onto serving plates and serve with Worcestershire sauce on the side and garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 461kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 733mg, Potassium: 1139mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 1365IU, Vitamin C: 52.6mg, Calcium: 86mg, Iron: 4.9mg
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
About Lalaine Manalo
Welcome to Kawaling Pinoy. Here you’ll find hundreds of delicious Filipino and Asian recipes. Make sure to browse around and pick a favorite dish or two. Happy cooking! Read More
Reader Interactions
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Ellen says
I tweaked it and put less oregano. I’m not a big fan of oregano. I also added garlic cloves. I love garlic. It was delicious!!Reply
Denise says
but I’ve never made this regional staple... wanted to make it like my mother in law does, it was great! Very easy & my kids loved it too!Reply
Barbara C Oppenheim says
When I make my version of this I often stop before adding the macaroni. At that point I split the sauce and freeze part. Then I add the appropriate portion of macaroni and finish cooking. (If I split in half then I add half the amount of macaroni.)
This allows me to freeze the other half without the macaroni. When I thaw it I then heat and add macaroni and finish cooking.
Not only does it take less space in the freezer, the macaroni consistency is not compromised in any way.
Reply
Joni Nygren says
This is simple, flavorful. Will making again. ThanksReply
Lalaine Manalo says
Glad you liked it, Joni! 😀
Reply
Ros-deminda C. Baysa says
Hi Ms. Lalaine,
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>Relevant-you give what your audience what they need.what they see they get it from your site.
>Helpful-solves a problem.You give solution,a lot of menu options to choose,prepping foods even not a good cook can do.
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Amelia Rodriguez says
Your recipe are nice easy to follow delicious and healthy.
Hope this Xmas i can see some recipe again that easy to followReply
Lalaine says
Thank you so much!
Reply
